Running home for homeless
Cormac Lewis will begin run on Saturday and arrive in Cavan on Sunday.
For the second time in as many years a local man intends to run back to Cavan from his home in Wales, but this time is looking for fellow fitness enthusiasts to join him on the journey.
In support of British charity Shelter, Cormac Lewis has altered his previous route from Porthcawl to Cardiff airport and on to Dublin, by this time flying to Belfast and treading the route from North to South.
In total, he’ll cover 115 road miles in approximately 28 hours, even more than he did last year, and greater than the equivalent of fourth marathons back to back between Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, May 12.
As Cormac, an experienced ultra marathon runner explains: “This isn’t an organised event; it will take place on rough coastal path of south Wales and dodgy back roads of Northern Ireland, mostly under the cover of darkness, very likely in the rain, and with a high chance of getting lost. All in all, it’s a terrible idea, but I did it last year through Dublin. I raised thousands for homeless charities, and it was an incredible experience. So, I’m doing it again.”
The married dad-of-two reflects on what was achieved last year with unbridled joy in his voice.
The former champion kick-boxer started off the first 27 miles with friend Matt Stroud across the Irish Sea, and arrived to family home on Elm Bank Drive with life-long friends Tom McCormack and Damien Donohoe, having been joined by his sister Jenny and Mickey Brennan among others along the way.
Many have signed up again to helping Cormac complete this challenge, and Cormac is incredibly thankful for that support knowing that this run will “definitely be the most difficult yet”.
He reflects on the ancient Japanese ritual called a ‘Misogi’ - doing one defining thing every year. “Something scary, something hard, something there’s a high percentage chance you might not make it. Something you’ll be proud of once it’s been achieved. It defines your year. That’s what I felt last year, and I want that feeling back.”
Cormac casts back also to his inspiration - experiencing the tragedy of homelessness as he runs to work each morning in London.
“You see it everywhere, in doorways, on steps, mothers with kids, whole families. It is heartbreaking. You question how in a city of plenty, and so much money sloshing around, how can this still be happening?”
Once Cormac arrives in Belfast with wife Gemma and their two kids - son Oshy and daughter Cosy- he intends to start running and keep going through the night, through Shankill and the Fall’s Road, onto Lisburn, Armagh, Keady to Ballybay, Cootehill and finally back to Cavan Town.
After taking a break from training, Cormac is beginning to put miles back in his legs. He loves the “simplicity” of it all, but admits: “The thought of getting the back of 70 miles is just so daunting at times.”
However, he fully believes in the uplift the company of others joining him and how that will make the road shorter.
“I don’t know if I could have done another mile last year. So I can push myself a bit more this year. That’s where you’re looking for people to maybe come on board, for one, five, even 10 kilometres. Anything at all really, just to keep you right, keep the head up and the feet moving. I know I wouldn’t have been able to do it if it wasn’t for the others last year.”
Home for 10am the next day. Breakfast?
“That’s the plan. I’ll be on to my mam to have it on the table ready for me. I burned through something like 10,000 calories on last year’s run. I was fuelling up, eating pizzas the whole way, and was just burning through them. It’s exciting for me, the challenge. These are roads I don’t know at all, so I’m adjusting right up to the day before I’m probably running.”
For more details, or to donate to Cormac’s cause search for ‘Home to Home for the Homeless’ on JustGiving.
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